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Go shoppingThis competition has now closed and we are no longer accepting entries. Best of luck to all those who entered. The shortlist has been announced and we will announce the winner on 15 October.
Inspiring, encouraging and acknowledging the creativity of young people is a common goal for London-based Litro magazine and the International Gateway for Gifted Youth (IGGY) at the University of Warwick. Litro & IGGY are pleased to announce that the International Short Story Award for Young People will be held again in 2012.
The Award is funded by alumni from the University of Warwick, and is open to young people from around the world aged 11-19. In addition to a cash prize of £2,500 the winner will also be published in Litro magazine and see excerpts of their work displayed on a poster in a London Underground station.
The illustrious panel of judges for the 2012 award include internationally acclaimed authors Chika Unigwe, Gemma Weekes, Will Eaves and Damian Barr.
- You must be 11-19 years of age
- Your entry must be no more than 3,000 words in length
- This year we’re looking for a story with an “international” theme, a purposefully broad theme to allow writers to be creative. You can include aspects of your own culture or write about a character’s cross-cultural experience.
- The deadline for entries is 24 July 2012
- Submit your entry here
Timeline:
- The long list of nominated writers will be announced on 5 September 2012
- The shortlist of six writers will be announced on 14 September 2012
- The winner will be announced at the Award Ceremony in London at the end of October 2012
Commenting on the announcement of the award, Litro founder Eric Akoto said:
“It is great news that the Award will be going ahead again in 2012 and is a mark of the success of the entrants from last year’s event. The Award is a fantastic opportunity for aspiring young writers to showcase their talent and to be recognised for their literary creativity. We are delighted to be partnering again with IGGY on this. The magazine has thrived because of the talent of its writers and it’s exciting to think of who and what we might discover through this Award.”
Hi,
Is it true that there are two groups? One for ages 11-14 and one for 15-19?
Hi Riya, no there is only the one group 11-19 years.
Best of luck!
What is the word count for this contest?
Your entry must be no more than 3,000 words in length. Good luck!
What is meant be ‘international theme’? Does it mean that it must be relatable to everyone?
It doesn’t have to relate to everyone. ‘International’ is purposefully a broad theme to allow writers to be creative. You can include aspects of your own culture or write about a character’s cross-cultural experience.
What does it mean ‘international’? Does it have to focus on an aspect of one culture or does it have to involve relatable mutual aspect? :)
Hi Caitlin,
See above comment. I hope that helps!
Thank youu :)
Yes, as the comments above, could you elaborate on the ‘international theme’? Also if you were in the ‘long list’ in last years competition then can you still enter this years with the same story? Thanks once again
Hi Georgie,
See above comment. Also, if you’ve been in the long list before, then you cannot enter this year’s competition with the same story.
where should i send my story ?
Hi Irenna, submit your story here. Good luck!
Can kids from the United States enter?
Sorry. I just noticed from “around the world.”
how many entries can one person submit?
Jeanelle,
The judges will accept only one entry per person. Good question though!
Thanks,
Shannon
Hi I’m really excited about this opportunity but the problem is I’m turning 20 on June 26 this year. Will my essay be qualified as long as I send it before then? What are my other options if not? Thanks in advance.
Hi Patricia,
It’s ok as long as you submit your entry before your birthday.
Thanks,
Shannon
Does it have to be fictional or factual
We don’t need to know whether it’s fact or fiction, or a mixture of both. As long as it’s a good story. Good luck!
Can it be a made-up culture in respect to the international theme
Yes it can be. Good luck!
What’s the policy on ‘adult’ themes, like sex, sexuality, swearing, etcetera? Is it disallowed or allowed in small quantities/indirectly? Will including such themes disqualify my entry or perhaps disadvantage it?
Hi,
Submitting an entry with adult themes will disqualify your entry. We accept small amounts of adult themes for Litro’s print magazine and online fiction, but because this is a contest for young people, we’d like to keep it appropriate for all audiences. Thanks for the question, and best of luck with your entry.
The Terms and Conditions state that “The copyright of any story submitted to the Litro and IGGY International Short Story Competition will remain with Litro and IGGY.” If I was planning on expanding my short story into a novel later, would this cause problems for me when trying to get it published?
Thanks.
Hi i was wondering about this too?
I also have this question to ask? Could you please provide an answer before we have to submit our entires. Thank-you!
No, this won’t cause any problems.
So, if Litro retains the copyright, will the rights to the story eventually revert to us?
Asyia,
Yes, the rights will eventually revert to you.
The entry form requires you to enter your school. What do you do if you are currently studying at university and fall under the age requirement(19)? Do you list your university?
Yes, just list your university. The only thing that matters is that you’re still within the age requirements.
Slightly along the lines of Seven’s comment – does it matter if you’re within the age limits, but not officially in education at an establishment? (I’m self-employed & was home-educated/my education is really self-directed). Also can your story be based off or incorporating something you’ve written (unpublished) before or does it have to be entirely new material?
Thanks :)
Sol,
As long as you’re within the age limits, you’re eligible. And yes, your story can be based on something you’ve written before, as long as it’s unpublished.
If I referred to prostitution indirectly would my entry be disqualified because of the adult theme? It is suggested throughout the story but never actually mentioned. Thanks :)
Is there a minimum word limit – if my entry is just under 1500 words is that okay? How is it going to be judged – on writing quality or content? What age group would the audience be (level of litricy and vacabluary etc.)? If one is writing from their own culture, can they include words from that culture? Is it allowed to be edited by a parent? Sorry for all the questions!
Could the story include fantasy fiction?
where is the award ceremony
PLEASE SPECIFY
Hi Yusuf,
The award ceremony venue has not been decided yet, but it will be in October, in London.
thanks. i was so worried.
Also, if you are not present at the venue, and you win, does the cheque of 2500 pounds get sent to your house
Yes, the cheque would be posted to the winner. So contestants should just make sure they’ve included the correct postal address with their application.
Hi..I just wanted to know one thing. How will we come to know that we have been shortlisted?
Hi Sudisha, the shortlist will be announced 14 September. We’ve just announced the longlist today here: https://www.litromagazine.com/?p=27887
Hello, I just wanted to know where I could check the long list of nominated writers. Thanks!
Hi, I just wanted to know who got nominated for the long list? thank you!
hi guys, i entered the competition and i was wondering how you find out if youre on the long list? the website said it would be announced on the 5th September 2012. can anybody help me? I’d really appreciate it. xxx
Hi everyone,
We apologise for the delay in announcing the longlist.
Make sure you’re following us on Facebook, Twitter, or Tumblr—you’ll hear it first from us there.
Thank you for your patience.
Hi everyone, the longlist has been announced here this morning: https://www.litromagazine.com/?p=27887